Blighter Surveillance Systems A400-Serie

The A400 series from Blighter Surveillance Systems, a manufacturer from the United Kingdom, is a family of electronically scanned radars (E-Scan) with three operating modes for air, sea and ground surveillance. In air mode it searches for small aircraft; in the other modes the same device also watches ground and sea targets. The manufacturer names military use and critical infrastructure as fields of use; mounting is stationary or on a vehicle.

The detection range of 20 km is a maximum for larger drones; for small aircraft the usable distance is shorter because their radar cross section is very small. Drones are detected from 10 m out to 20 km, at target speeds of up to 400 km/h. Up to 500 targets can be tracked at once, a figure that counts with swarms and dense air traffic. Coverage is 360 degrees; depending on the version in the series it is 90 to 360 degrees, so a sector unit sees only part of the surroundings.

Radars transmit too: in Germany every use of a frequency needs an assignment from the Bundesnetzagentur (Section 91(1) TKG). How frequency use is regulated in Poland has to be clarified with the competent authorities before deployment. The radar detects and tracks; jammers may be operated only by authorities in Germany and Poland (Section 91 TKG, Article 42 of the Polish Electronic Communications Law).

First settle the version: a 90-degree sector or all-round view, and for which target size the range is meant to hold; the 20 km cannot be carried over to the smallest drones. For 360-degree versions, check whether the antenna rotates mechanically; bearings and drive are then maintenance points. A vehicle installation needs north alignment and tilt calibration after every move. The high target count helps only if the downstream system can process it; cameras and RF detectors handle classification.